Sheltered Walkways Project Improving Commutes

LTA has awarded two contracts to construct sheltered walkways around 59 MRT stations in the north-western and north-eastern parts of Singapore.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) in Singapore has granted the first two of four contracts under the Walk2Ride programme to construct sheltered walkways around 59 MRT stations. Commuters living in the North-East and North-West will benefit from this scheme as the walkways will stretch up to 400 metres from the stations, protecting walkers from the elements.

Work is intended to start in the fourth quarter of this year and will be completed by 2018, said the LTA on Thursday. The plans also hope to provide signage and local maps, along with health information at rest-stops along the walkways. Currently walkways are available between transport nodes and schools, healthcare facilities and residences within a 200m radius.

The first contract covers 24 MRT stations in the north-western area of Singapore and was awarded to Singapore Piling & Civil Engineering – Shincon Industrial Joint Venture for $80.3 million Singapore Dollars (SD). The second contract covers 35 MRT stations in the north-eastern part of Singapore and was given to Planar One & Associates for $76.3 million SD. The LTA has also called two more tenders to extend this programme to an extra 29 MRT stations, 38 LRT stations and one bus interchange. Once finished the programme will add four times more walkway than the current 46km, the LTA said.